Our current climate of partisan fury is not new, and in The Soul of America Meacham shows us how what Abraham Lincoln called the “better angels of our nature” have repeatedly won the day. Painting surprising portraits of Lincoln and other presidents, including Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, and LBJ, and illuminating the courage of influential citizen activists and civil rights pioneers, Meacham brings vividly to life turning points in American history. Each of these dramatic hours have been shaped by the contest to lead the country to look forward rather than back.

A important book for these times!

Loved this book and found it extremely helpful in termsNJof putting the current pokkitical struggles in context.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

Educated

A Memoir

By:
Tara Westover

Narrated by:
Julia Whelan

Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins

Unabridged

Overall

5 out of 5 stars
35,595

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
32,281

Story

5 out of 5 stars
32,132

Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches. In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard. Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. Her quest for knowledge transformed her.

The Other Side of Idaho's Mountains

Gripping story, hard to stop listening.

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-31-18

Fascinating biography of a woman who struggled with so many things: a violent childhood, escaping her controlling bi-polar father and her ultra Mormon religious family, and how she amazingly, through sheer strength of will, goes on to live a completely different life.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

The Disaster Artist

My Life inside 'The Room', the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made

By:
Greg Sestero,
Tom Bissell

Narrated by:
Greg Sestero

Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
7,190

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
6,689

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
6,662

Nineteen-year-old Greg Sestero met Tommy Wiseau at an acting school in San Francisco. Wiseau's scenes were rivetingly wrong, yet Sestero, hypnotized by such uninhibited acting, thought, "I have to do a scene with this guy." That impulse changed both of their lives.
The Disaster Artist is Greg Sestero's laugh-out-loud funny account of how Tommy Wiseau defied every law of artistry, business, and friendship to make "the
Citizen Kane of bad movies" (
Entertainment Weekly), which is now an international phenomenon.

You Have to Listen to This Book!

You Have to Listen to This Book!

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 08-28-14

What did you love best about The Disaster Artist?

This story is hilarious and extremely insightful. The narrator gives firsthand accounts of the insane magic of The Room and Tommy Wiseau himself. His impersonation of Tommy is spot on and so much fun to hear. The writing in general is clear and funny, especially in the various eccentric elements of Tommy Wiseau's life. This also provides a little insight into the life of a young struggling actor which was a nice offshoot I didn't expect.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Disaster Artist?

That is hard to choose. Probably Tommy's acting scenes.

What about Greg Sestero’s performance did you like?

Extremely well done. A few words are blurred but it hardly matters. He nails the most important aspect which is Tommy's voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, absolutely. It's great and terrible that it's only 11 hours, because I loved every minute and couldn't stop listening.

Any additional comments?

Definitely, definitely worth your money. It doesn't matter if you've seen The Room or heard of Tommy Wiseau before. If you haven't you'll want to, and if you have, it will be that much better knowing what went on behind the scenes of the best bad movie ever made.